Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam has clarified that the violence in Bangladesh during July-August was a case of mass killing, not genocide. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (May 13), he explained the distinction between the two terms.
"Mass murder refers to large-scale killings, while genocide is the deliberate extermination of an ethnic group. What occurred in July was mass murder, not genocide. Please don't spread misinformation," he wrote.
Previously, several media outlets reported that Tazul Islam had said no mass killing took place during that period. However, he has now clarified that while over a thousand people died due to shootings and violence during the anti-government uprising, the incidents do not meet the international legal definition of genocide.
Speaking at a press conference the same day, he said, "There are no genocide charges related to the July-August events. According to international law, the crimes committed fall under ‘crimes against humanity,' not genocide. The nature of these crimes is mass killing or massacre."
When asked whether the ruling Awami League party could be prosecuted as a group, he responded, "That will be decided in the future."
He added that just last night, amendments to the law were passed. If the investigating authority believes the party is responsible for crimes against humanity, a decision will be made to launch an investigation as per the new legal provisions.
